·         House Bill 1312 creates an innovative program to provide our schools access to clean, renewable technologies with low-interest loans.

·         Growing energy costs and tightening budgets have left schools in a tough spot. 

·         Utility costs are second only to teacher salaries as the most expensive budget item for many school districts across the state.

·         By producing energy on-site with technologies like wind and solar, schools can reduce their utility bills, create a buffer against future energy price spikes, and put more money toward educating our kids. 

·         Colorado’s kids will play a critical role in the state towards building a vibrant New Energy Economy.

·         Installing renewable energy technologies provides hands-on teaching opportunities for Colorado’s kids about the many prospects that exist in research, development and production of clean energy technologies.

·         Unfortunately, many schools can’t afford the up-front capital to finance renewable energy projects. 

·         Providing schools low-interest loans will fundamentally help eliminate this barrier.    

BILL SPECIFICS

·         Creates a low-interest loan program to fund renewable energy and battery powered/hybrid electric bus projects in public schools that qualify. 

·         School districts may apply to the Governor’s Energy Office for a low-interest loan to finance specific renewable energy projects.

·         The State Board of Education will promulgate rules for how the program will be administered in consultation with GEO. 

·         The GEO will make recommendations to the State Treasurer as to whether a loan shall be awarded, and the amount of the loan. 

·         The Governor’s Energy Office may also provide technical assistance and approval of projects to districts during the application process. 

·         To finance the program, a new fund in the Treasurer’s office, called the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency for Schools Loan Program Administration Fund, will be created.  That fund will in turn be financed with monies appropriated from the Public School Energy Efficiency Fund, and gifts, grants and donations.

LOAN CRITERIA

·         To meet our constitutional requirements, the bill creates criteria for school districts that are at once rigorous while also allowing older schools in poorer districts the opportunity to qualify. 

o        To qualify, schools must demonstrate that it has met or exceeded the federal energy star label, which resulted from an energy efficiency audit. 

o        Older schools may qualify by committing to an efficiency plan that targets concrete energy savings measures and a plan for implementation.

·         Additionally, each district applying for a loan will be required to convene a renewable energy project team, which includes members of the local community, school district, and a professional with the technical assistance required to facilitate the project. 

·         Each district must also consult with the local utility, and is invited to include a representative of that utility in the project team for technical assistance.